The Company
by Beating The Odds87
Summary: When Christine meets a new student in her graduate program she has no idea where his intentions really lie. He was just a professional with a job to do and wasn't going to let anything get in the way...even his unknowing recruit. ExC Modern Day.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: All credit is given where credit is due. Un-original characters belong to those who created them and not to me. Thanks!

** For my Husband, and my hero. I love you with all that I am and miss you so much. Thank you for fighting for us**

Prologue

Los Angeles, California.

The sun was just setting over his building as he flipped through the papers, annoyed, as usual, to be degraded into doing this part of the job. It was the part that took the longest, and the most patience, as he read through every extensive file and scrutinized even the most minute detail. In this profession, life and death were in the details.

Bach played quietly in the background of the dimly lit room as he crumpled yet another piece of paper and threw it on the ground. Frustration wouldn't even begin to describe it. He had been at it for days and still couldn't seem to find one file that would be the right fit. In the past, he might not have given so much thought to it. But this time would be different because this file would be his, exclusively, to manage. The company was putting him back in the game.

He glanced across the mahogany desk at the other stack of perfectly aligned file folders, the pile he had desperately been avoiding. But time was running out and he was getting nervous. They would be expecting an answer by morning

He picked up the first file under the tab he had labeled " Female" and read the name . " Sarah James. Twenty two years old, graduate student of Infectious Disease at UCLA. He continued to read noting the extensive background in biochemical warfare and bioterrorism tactics. He scanned the rest of the paper as his interest peaked only to be let down after skimming the personal section and discovering she had living family. He tried to keep his anger in check as he threw yet another piece of paper onto the now growing pile on the floor. He didn't understand while files such as those even made it to his desk. With family present in a recruit's life there would be too much of a mess to clean up, too many questions asked.

He briefly considered telling the company he wouldn't be working at all until they found him an acceptable file but his eyes roamed onto the next file and locked onto one sentence. " Orphaned at 17". He quickly reviewed the rest of the paper and became more intrigued as he read the resume which had been unknowingly prepared for her. It seemed she was in the same graduate program as Miss James but was slightly superior in her in grades. She was exactly what he had been looking for. Quiet, exceedingly studious and always excelled high above the curve. She had no family, no boyfriend… no one to miss her when she inevitably disappeared.

He turned the paper over and looked at her picture. She was beautiful to say the least, but that didn't matter. He was a professional and had a job to complete. His eyes sought the name as he exhaled in relief. Christine Darcy. He had found his recruit.


	2. Chapter 2

It had been one of those mornings. The kind where the alarm clock rang and she spent the first 10 minutes of her day debating whether it was worth it to expend the energy to get up , out of bed, and make it to class. She missed the days where she could throw on a pair of sweats and walk to class from her dorm room; graduate student housing had pushed her much further off campus. Grad school also meant a lot more work and a lot more focus, so she eventually gave up the debate in defeat, threw one foot on the floor, then another, and sauntered off to the kitchen to get the coffee maker going. Clicking play on her ipod, music filled the tiny kitchen as she poured her coffee and went about getting ready for the day.

It was not unusual that traffic ended up being bumper to bumper on the 405, nor was it unusual that she had left her studio apartment 10 minutes late, causing her to rush and grab a seat in the lecture hall with only a few seconds to spare. She was however, uncharacteristically disorganized this particular morning and watched helplessly as her bag slid out of her hands, dumping its contents all over the floor in front of her. Almost all the goods had been recovered, and she had thankfully avoided drawing too much attention, when she noticed a strong hand slide her blackberry back in front of her feet.

"I know, it's still early…" the voice from the next seat whispered and she immediately recognized it belonged to the hand which had slid her the phone. She let out a nervous laugh and sitting up, met his gaze as he smiled friendly.

"Sorry", she quickly mouthed back, and began to turn on her laptop. She couldn't help but blush a little when she noticed how good looking the man next to her was. Short blond hair was cropped around a solidly structured tan face which held a pair of amazingly blue eyes. He was typing furiously on his computer and she reprimanded herself for becoming distracted. Forcing herself to focus, she resumed her typing and allowed her brain to get lost in the lecture.

oOo

It was nothing he hadn't heard before and, if he was being completely honest with himself, it was a little difficult to keep his eyes open as the professor droned on. Amazing, to think of all the education he had received in just one short year of training compared to the length it took to impart an even smaller amount of knowledge in America's universities. In his opinion, the system was all wrong.

He had picked a spot near the back of the lecture hall and had easily spotted his recruit towards the front right away. Slipping in after the lecture had begun, he began making notes… her daily habits would have to become his. "Next time I'll have to sit a little closer" he thought remorsefully as he squinted to gain a better view.

The pictures had not done her justice. A mess of blonde curls was thrown haphazardly into a ponytail but a few strands had fallen down and were flushed against the back of a grey sweatshirt. He could tell she was built athletically and breathed a sigh of relief to confirm this fact in the flesh. It was one of the major requirements for new recruits to be physically fit, should a situation arise when this asset would be necessary, and he scribbled a note in messy handwriting to double check her medical records one more time. _Cant' be too careful_, he thought to himself and gave a brief chuckle. The company had warned him about being careful one too many times, not excluding most recently when he informed them of his decision.

oOo

"_You need to watch it with her_," the man behind the desk stated dryly to the one leaning nonchalantly against the doorframe.

"I have no idea what you mean by that," he replied statically. "I know my job, and my responsibility to perform and complete it. There won't be any issues. "

"I just know the ability that females have to manipulate men…especially ones with little _experience_ in that field". He stopped to emphasize the word experience and the man in the doorway felt his blood heat slightly and then begin to slowly spread through his veins.

"Like I said, there won't be any issues", and with that he turned on his heel and left. He could hear the man's dark voice from down the hall, _" I'll be looking forward to meeting her , Erik_" ,and he felt a small pang of guilt for what he was about to do in the girl's life. But the feeling dissipated as quickly as it came and he steeled his mind back to cold indifference.

Upon returning to his office he ripped off a black mask that concealed the larger portion of his face and allowed the fresh air to cool his skin. He wouldn't allow himself to become distracted, and no recruit, female or not, would cause him to lose his focus. There was too much on the line.

After pacing for a moment and collecting his thoughts, he walked over to a small file cabinet and produced the key that unlocked it. He pulled out his Beretta and expertly clicked the magazine into place. It was time to get to work.

oOo

Now, he shifted uncomfortably in his seat and pulled the baseball cap lower over his dark locks. He hoped the hat would conceal enough of the mask so that he could blend in easily. In this stage, it was crucial that he would be able to observe Christine's routine without notice and a man walking around in a mask was usually a cause for notice. He felt ridiculous in the baggy jeans and Bruins shirt he had put on, but it was an unfortunate necessity. He much preferred his neatly tailored Armani suits but they were high above any grad student's budget and therefore had been a necessary sacrifice.

After what felt like an eternity, the professor dismissed the class for the day and he watched Christine stand and collect her things. He observed closely as the boy next to her reached out his hand to shake hers and he had to repress the urge to curse loudly. He couldn't deal with any added complications or additions in her life, and she had been notorious for being known as a loner thus far. That couldn't change now. He felt a twinge of jealousy as she smiled back at the boy who had shaken her hand. _She belongs to me, _his mind screamed, but he quickly quieted the voice and assured himself his feelings were solely based on the necessity of completing the job. _Strictly professional_, he reiterated quietly.

Eventually Christine passed through the center aisle and out the door, allowing him to quickly fill in with the crowd walking behind her.

_So, Christine, where are we going today?_

oOo

" I'm Ryan". The boy next to her extended his hand and smiled lightly. " Sounds like this class is going to be pretty brutal huh?"

She laughed in response. "Yeah, Immunology is definitely not my strong suit. I'm Christine"

She reached out to take his hand and jumped slightly at the contact. How long had it been since she had really been _touched_? He gave an easy laugh as she withdrew her hand and threw his backpack up on his shoulders. "Well if you ever need a study partner you know where to find me".

" Great. Thanks", she said with a grin and stepped aside to allow him into the aisle. " See you next time!" he called from the doorway and she gathered up her things and stepped out too, a wide smile playing across her face.

oOo

The day had ended up being rather boring but still, by its completion, he had filled small notebook with annotations about the unsuspecting girl's life. He was thankful to discover that all his inclinations that she preferred a solitary life were true. After class had been dismissed she had spent a few hours in the library and then grabbed lunch and sat outside the library on a bench to eat.

No one seemed to know or notice her. No friends to came up to say hello and no one stopped to talk to her. She was perfect in her solitude, she wouldn't be missed. His mind quickly drifted to her brief encounter with the boy in lecture that morning but she didn't seem to know him and it wouldn't be suspicious if she suddenly stopped going to lecture. The boy would just assume she had changed her schedule.

His black Audi purred behind her noisy Honda on the freeway and after she arrived back at her small apartment in Westwood, he settled back in his leather seat for a long and non-eventful afternoon. In the end, that is exactly what it had been. By 5pm, he was getting antsy but quickly noticed that the front door had opened and she was walking out of it in her white lab coat. _Right on schedule, _he thought to himself as she climbed in her car. It would be time for her to head back to campus for research.

The lab she worked in was small, and it would have been nearly impossible for him to observe her in that setting without being noticed. Instead, he quietly opened his car door and walked around to the front of her apartment. Picking the lock was easy and he pushed open the front door, thankful once again that she chose not to have any roommates and lived alone.

Her apartment was cluttered, but clean. There were a few dishes in the sink and her school books were open across the kitchen table with papers filled with notes thrown around them. She had been studying again.

He continued into the living room and noticed quickly the small amount of picture frames that were lying around. Counting only three he reached over to the end table beside the couch and picked up the nearest one. Christine was smiling in between what must have been her parents, situated in front of the white Honda she now drove. She looked just like her mother, and her father had a kind face and smiled just as widely as the two girls beside him. "Happy 16th Birthday Christine!" was written on one of the car's windows. It would be the last year she spent with her parents. He put the picture down quickly, he knew what it was like to lose family and the memory stirred less than pleasant emotions…emotions that he had long ago fought to remove all traces of in his life.

Exiting the living room he braced himself as instinct took over and something black caught the corner of his eye. Turning around, he noticed it was only a piano which stood collecting dust in the corner of the room. Small pieces of paper were strewn across the bench and a few scores were propped against the keys. It took him off guard; he hadn't read anything in her file pertaining to any interest or activity in music at all. His heart lurched painfully. If Christine did have an appreciation for music it would be a love they both shared. For him, a love that had become his only source of peace and beauty in a world filled with hate and cruelty. _What was it to her?_

He reached out and grabbed the closest piece of sheet music. The staff looked almost scribbled on, as if someone had been composing the piece themselves but there was no name attached to it. Placing it in his pocket, exited the house and went back to settle in his Audi and wait for Christine's return home.


	3. Chapter 3

The next day that followed had mirrored the one before in almost every way and the week had proceeded slowly, in the same manner as well. Thankfully, the class demanded lecture Monday through Friday so the only days when he wouldn't have direct contact with his recruit would be the weekends. He had spent the majority of the week pondering this thought; he had grown quite accustomed to seeing Christine in the hour and a half that lecture provided and the thought of having to only watch her from a distance gave him an uncomfortable twinge. Of course, time was a relative figure now, ticking slowly towards a future that she wouldn't be able to escape from and one in which in his discomfort at their separation would no longer be a pertinent issue.

Today , he sat, un-noticed, in a dirty booth of the campus's local Starbucks, pouring over his hand written notes and nursing a latte. He gazed at the newspaper that was strewn haphazardly across the tabletop and then shifted his focus to the blonde across the room who was currently bent over a book. He had every intention to keep some distance after following her to this spot, but fate had an inconvenient sense of humor and had thrown him in the long line of students waiting for their caffeine fix directly behind her. It was an odd sensation for him, being so close to her, knowing so much about her, and yet knowing that to her he was only a ghost. She reflexively twisted an errant curl around her finger while tapping her foot to some unknown tune playing through her headphones, completely unaware to the danger behind her, and Erik breathed in deeply to calm his quickening heartbeat. Whether it was her proximity in terms of fear of being noticed or excitement he didn't care to admit. She smelled like clean air, and sunshine, he noted, like _life _…like everything he was not.

She ordered her coffee, black, and proceeded to sit while he grabbed his own and wrangled a free booth right as a group of students got up.

Christine was a creature of habit. But today, she surprised him as she grabbed a copy of what looked like some latest fad fiction novel from her bag and began to read. It was the first time he had seen her read anything besides that in the world of academia. He chuckled slightly to himself, so she had a less than serious side after all, he mused quietly. She hadn't afforded many surprises all week actually, so he found this one refreshing, even in its simplicity. Her schedule was militantly rigid and she seemed to follow it precisely. School, research, some variety of frozen, microwave dinner, finished with studying and then bed. The boy she had met, Ryan, had continued to be meddlesome and annoying but Christine seemed to ignore him for the most part and he had noted thankfully that she seemed completely and politely aloof to any of his advances.

He had just finished flipping through another page of notes, when he noticed some activity around the overstuffed chair that Christine had been propped on. Looking up from his paper, Ryan had appeared seemingly from nowhere and was setting his cup down next to Christine's as he smiled at her expectantly. For some reason unbeknownst to himself, Erik's stomach churned.

"Ah, so another late afternoon coffee addict", Ryan laughed lightly. "Enjoying the beginning of your weekend?"

"Oh, Hi, Ryan". Christine looked caught off guard at first but returned his smile. "Yeah, you know, nothing beats a nice long weekend of self-imposed study isolation". She closed her book and bit her lip as she met his gaze. Was she _flirting? _Erik's hands gripped the paper that had been in his hands.

Ryan seemed to light up at her last comment and lazily picked up his coffee and took another sip. "Well, there are always options for curing that, he stated confidently putting cup back down, " There is a little something some of us slackers like to call " extra-curricular activities"

_Of course you would think that, people like you don't understand what real dedication to something is_, Erik thought venomously. _You better back off before you get yourself involved in something you want no part of. _His gun pressed uncomfortably against his hip and he was reminded how quickly he could bring death to anyone he wished.

"Yeah, I think I've forgotten how to have a life outside of this place to be honest", she countered laughing. The smile had vanished as quickly as it had come however, and she looked down quickly trying to recover. "School takes top priority right now you know? Especially with this midterm so close, I'm trying to stay on my toes".

_Good girl_, the shadow hissed as some the bile descended from his throat.

Ryan searched her face, a small hint of concern playing across his own.

"Well I admire your dedication", he spoke up, "Guess I'm just a procrastinator through and through".

She opened her mouth for rebuttal, suddenly feeling guilty for unintentionally insulting him but he had laughed, breaking the silence, before she had the chance to voice her feelings. Reaching inside the pocket of his jeans he pulled out his receipt and quickly jotted down his number before handing it back to her.

"Well if you change your mind…" he stated as he grabbed his cup and began to turn to leave. She folded the receipt neatly and tucked it in her purse before nodding and giving a quick wave goodbye as he exited.

xXx

He had watched the rest of the exchange intently as Ryan handed her the piece of paper that inevitably held his phone number. If this continued, the time table that he had worked so carefully to construct would be completely trashed and things would need to move much, much more quickly. As Christine placed the paper in her purse his mind screamed every profanity he knew, there was nothing worse than watching your plans fall to shit and there was already limited time as it was to complete the assignment. He had already been warned that the recruit that was currently training was excelling and scheduled to complete the program early, thrusting Christine into the emptied spot early as well.

The boy had already complicated things enough as it was, but if he continued to grow closer to her there was no doubt he would be concerned when she stopped showing up to class. He was going to need to make a move, and soon.

"_Damnit",_ he muttered under his breath again as he noticed Christine was gathering up her belongings. There would be no time to follow her tonight; he needed to be alone to focus on how exactly he was going to be able to pull this off. His heart gave a heavy thump as she walked closer to the door; he had found a twisted sort of peace in her presence that he had reluctantly admitted to start to crave in her absence.

Christine paused just before the door and seemed to be pondering something on the wall when she reached inside her bag and pulled out a paper that she quickly stuck to an already overflowing bulletin board. As soon as she was out the door, he was on his feet and when he reached the spot he quickly located the paper that she had placed on it. Most days it seemed like fate had nothing better to do than to curse him, yet today it appeared he had found a bit of luck. Christine was looking for a tutor, and it was time for them to meet. His body buzzed with nervous energy as he walked to his car, although he had planned to have much more time to follow her, he was anxious to get the real game started. The car's engine roared to life and he considered calling her number right away as he glanced at his phone but decided against it. Tomorrow, he would make the call. Tonight, she deserved one last night of freedom.

" _I hope you make the most of it Christine"_, he thought as he pulled out of parking lot, " _It's a whole lot more than I got_."


	4. Chapter 4

The night air felt refreshing as he took a deep breath and pondered the mass of stars above him. He tried calculating, remembering the amount of countries in which he had done exactly this but the sheer multitude caused his brain to shift into less taxing thoughts. Of course, Los Angeles spilt a nasty film of pollution into the air that caused the entire sky to be covered with a blanket of smog, but he knew such was the price of industry, and progress.

Below him, the city pulsed mercilessly, unaware of anything besides itself; a self absorbed mass of humanity scrambling along the crowded freeways eager to begin the weekend. Sometimes it was difficult to imagine what life would be like with a 9 to 5 job, with a normal home and perhaps even a wife he could kiss goodbye in the morning. The thought gave him an unpleasant twinge and he shifted his gaze from the sky down to the pocket in his jeans that had begun to buzz.

"_What do you want? ",_ he answered quickly, not trying to conceal the irritation in his voice.

"You already know what I'm going to ask you." The voice was gruff but not unkind. "You're not above reporting into us, Erik. We need to know your progress with the Darcy girl. "

"What do you want to know? I've written the mission start date, you know I'm working with her file. "

"_Well,_ I wish I could say I hate being the bearer of bad news but in your case, your irritation causes me too much delight."

He took a few deep breaths, trying to calm the part of his brain that was playing various violent scenes in front of him like a movie.

"None of us expected this, but time is really of the essence with this one. We had no idea how quickly the current recruit would finish the first phase of training but as of this afternoon he's officially released to phase two. Which means…"

He didn't need to finish the sentence, he already knew.

"Alright. Understood. I need to move along quickly. Are we done here?"

"I'm faxing you the details tonight of the location of the facility and the date you will be required to be here. I don't need to tell you that I expect absolute compliance ." The warning was evident.

"Oh, and Erik…, try not to damage this one before she even begins; please keep your face..."

The phone had shattered against the opposite wall before the sentence had finished, breaking apart into a hundred, tiny, mechanical pieces. The sounds of the city thundered in his ears and he felt the distinct signs of an impending migraine.

He clamped his eyes shut and laid down on the couch, the thought of his servitude to the company causing his stomach to turn viciously. The bonds were invisible, but it made them no less present. Before he realized his consciousness had begun to slide into nothingness, welcoming the empty embrace of sleep.

oOo

I just need you to be quiet, as long as you listen very carefully I will not have to hurt you.

The woman in front of him whimpered as a gun pressed against her back and she reached out wildly in front of her, trying to latch onto anything she could find in the darkness.

He quickly grabbed the flailing hands, securing them in one of his own behind her back. Her body began to heave in response, the familiar motion causing a surge of alarm as he saw the beginning of a scream advance towards her mouth.

They had some privacy here, this particular region of the country was known for having houses on properties with copious amounts of land, yet his training warned him that they would not be immune to detection. She flinched again as he dug the gun a little harder against her skin while freeing the other hand momentarily to wind his long fingers across her mouth, pulling her shaking form closer to his.

She was just inches from him now, could feel his breath against the back of her neck and suddenly that voice was in her ear again, yet this time it was quieter and she found her mind relaxing against reality, straining to focus on what the voice was saying to her.

"_Just relax; I am not going to harm you"._ It was impossible to disobey the hypnotic hum of his words and he felt her body slack against his own.

_Wonderful,_ he sighed, and removed the gun that had been pressing against her. You're going to have a seat and we're going to have a talk. Her head nodded and he released her completely while grabbing a chair from a few feet away and steering her into it.

She obeyed, and he crouched in front of her, regarding her curiously as she strained to see him in the darkness.

" Who are you", she questioned quietly still trying to search his face .

" Who I am is really not important, nor is my name a consequential detail right now. What's really important here is you."

He kept his voice even and calm, and judging by her response she was still reacting favorably to it.

However, could see the questions written across her face, the apprehension and the confusion etched clearly into her features.

"It will not all make sense right now, and it is not my place to explain any details. What I can tell you is that you have been chosen for a very particular job by a group of people who have deemed your skills remarkable enough to have you join our team".

"_No"_**,** she stuttered in rebuttal, "_I don't understand, I'm not doing this_." She had begun to stand up when firm hands pressed down upon her knees, causing her plop unceremoniously back in to her chair.

"I wish I could tell you that you have a choice in the matter Lucy, but you do not"

_None of us did._

"How do you know my name?" she accused uncertainly and he could recognize that the conversation needed to wrap up quickly. He could not keep a lid on her panic indefinitely.

He smiled and she shuddered, noticing for the first time the dark mask that neatly covered one side of his face.

"Your name is quite trivial in comparison to the amount of knowledge we have on you". He continued before she had a chance to speak.

"We are almost done here, but I need you to listen for just one more moment. After tonight you will not see me again. I am simply here to deliver the message and insure that you arrive safely from here to your final destination. There you will receive more answers and meet the person who will be training you for your position"

Her head whipped around, suddenly aware of the door behind her.

" I would advise you not to run from me. I assure you in advance, I am faster than you".

_There's no way but forward now, I'm sorry_

Her eyes were transfixed on his face now and he noticed her chest rising up and then falling down subsequently with heavy thuds.

He fumbled in his coat pocket and pulled out an object. "I'm going to give you something to go to sleep, and when you wake up you will be in our training facility".

"_Please"_, she whispered, her hands now clenched around the chair growing white. "_Please, don't do this_."

He did not respond, but advanced and unclenched one of her tightly wound hands.

The next things happened very quickly. He went to pop the cap off the top of the syringe and suddenly her free hand slammed across his face, knocking the mask off and down the floor.

She was up in an instant and he recoiled as a scream pierced the quiet. He wasn't sure if it was her voice or his own.

"_Damnit_!" , he roared looking at the girl who had been staring at him, frozen in place. "Do you have _any_ idea what you've done!" Her mouth moved but no words flowed and he was on her in a second, his body shaking angrily.

"You _have no clue as to the amounts of ways I've been trained to damage your body_", he whispered against her face. "Your_ future in this company just saved your life_".

He sighed and she bent forward suddenly gagging and proceeding to vomit all over his arms and the floor.

She was muttering something but he couldn't understand the words and then she fell forward against the arm that had been supporting her, her eyes closing in defeat.

oOo

He awoke with a start, quickly shooting off the couch and wiping away the sweat that had been accumulating on his forehead. The sick feeling lingered in the back of his throat although he noticed his head felt slightly better.

_Damn_, he muttered to himself, and gave a quick glance over to the clock which revealed he had only been asleep for an hour.

He made his way into the kitchen and quickly mixed a vodka tonic in a small crystal glass. He rarely dreamed of her anymore, but every time he did it always left him with shaky nerves.

A small light blinked at him from the fax machine atop his desk and for a moment he had almost forgotten the conversation that had taken place with his boss. He ripped the paper off the machine and scanned its contents. The night just kept getting better and better. He would be taking Christine to Prague, and they were expected to be there in a week.


End file.
